Maintain Your Eligibility

Once you have filed your FAFSA, received your books, attended your first classes of the semester and received your financial aid, the next thing you will need to know is how to keep your financial aid.

Financial aid eligibility is regularly reviewed throughout the academic year. The financial aid offer you receive is based on the information you provided on your FAFSA. After payments are made, enrollment changes and academic performance may affect your future eligibility.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal and state regulations require that all financial aid recipients meet specific academic standards called Satisfactory Academic Progress.  We are required to monitor credits attempted toward program completion, cumulative GPA and course completion during all enrollment periods.

Changes to enrollment and unsuccessful completion of coursework can impact your academic progress and financial aid eligibility. Learn more about eligibility requirements by visiting the Satisfactory Academic Progress section of our website.

Adding/Dropping Classes

During the scheduled add/drop period of each semester, you can make schedule adjustments. Classes that are dropped during this period do not remain on your permanent record.

Changes in enrollment may also affect the amount of financial aid that is paid. For a review of how certain financial aid awards are affected by changes in enrollment, please visit Payment of Funds.

Start 2/Start 3 Classes

If you are in a Start 2 or Start 3 class that you drop after financial aid has paid, an adjustment for your aid received may be made. Whether an adjustment is made depends on whether your resulting enrollment falls below the required number of credits necessary for a financial aid award as outlined in Payment of Funds.

Withdrawals

A withdrawal is when a student changes their enrollment after the end of the add/drop period. These classes are part of the student record and are assigned a grade of “W” on the student's transcript. W, F, I, U, and Z grades are classified as incomplete credits and will affect the completion rate for the student. These grades will also affect the student's Satisfactory Academic Progress.

When Financial Aid Has to Be Returned

Financial aid eligibility depends greatly on enrollment and attendance. If a student withdraws, drops, or is unable to successfully complete a course, Front Range Community College may be required to return a portion of any financial aid received.

This process is called a Return to Title IV calculation. If financial aid is returned, this may result in a student owing a balance to FRCC and the US Department of Education.

Students can review the complete Colorado Community College Financial Aid Return of Title IV Funds Policy for additional information.

No Appeals Process

The Return of Title IV Funds is a federal regulation with which the FRCC Financial Aid Office must comply in order to continue to offer and disburse federal financial aid. There is no appeals process; therefore, we strongly encourage students to think carefully about whether a complete withdrawal is the best course of action. After a Return of Funds calculation is completed, you will be sent detailed information on the results of the calculation.